History 20W Essay and ticket in assignment

This is a copy of the Introduction to the “Report of CIA Chilean Task Force Activities, 15 September to 3 November 1970” at http://cryptome.org/cia-track2.htm. It provides necessary background information,

which – along with lecture/discussion materials – should serve as your corroborating evidence.

21 November 2000

The 1973 military coup which overthrew the Allende government of Chile is well-known. Less known is a short-lived, deep cover attempt of President Nixon and Henry Kissinger to arrange a military coup to prevent Allende from taking office. While the US Senate Church Committee in the mid-70s reported on this and other covert activities by US intelligence agencies, many of the documents provided to the committee for its investigation remained classified until their release on November 13, 2000, over protests of the CIA that the documents would reveal intelligence means and methods.

The 1970 covert action commenced within days after Allende's election on September 3, and had two parts, designated Track I and Track II.

Track I aimed at persuading and supporting Chilean opponents of Allende to prevent his taking office as president using political and constitutional means. It involved the CIA, the State Department, Defense Department and the US ambassador to Chile.

Track II (also called codeword FUBELT) was a special organization set up by the CIA at President Nixon's request to foster a military coup, and it involved only the CIA, Henry Kissinger and Kissinger's staff. Track II was kept secret from the agencies executing Track I and it used Track I to cloak its activities. Track II was headed by Thomas Karamessines, CIA Deputy Director of Plans.

The CIA claims that Track II was terminated after the assassination of Chilean General Schneider on October 22, 1970, when a planned military coup failed to materialize. However, the Church Committee alleged that it was never terminated and probably assisted the military coup of 1973 by going deeper under cover.

The CIA Track II document below is one of several dozen in the Chile Collection (search on "Track II," FUBELT, "false flag," machine guns") which describe means and methods, these among them:

1. Kept secret from other US government agencies and their oversight committees by presidential order.

2. Deployed CIA "false flag" officers ("illegals") who pretended to be from non-US countries.

3. Arranged anti-Allende press coverage: "15 journalist agents from 10 different countries, supplemented by 8 more journalists from 5 countries under the direction of high level agents who were, for the most part, in managerial capacities in the media field."

4. Concealed the existence of Track II after its mission failed until exposed during the Church Committee hearings.

Many redactions in the document can be filled in by reference to other documents in the collection.